deceit

American  

[dih-seet] / dɪˈsit /

noun

1. the act or practice of deceiving; concealment or distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating.

   Once she exposed their deceit, no one ever trusted them again.

   Synonyms:

   dissimulation, deception

2. an act or device intended to deceive; trick; stratagem.

3. the quality of being deceitful; duplicity; falseness.

   a man full of deceit.

   Antonyms:

   sincerity, honesty

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deceit British  

/ dɪˈsiːt /

noun

1. the act or practice of deceiving

2. a statement, act, or device intended to mislead; fraud; trick

3. a tendency to deceive

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Usage

What does deceit mean? Deceit is the act or practice of deceiving—lying, misleading, or otherwise hiding or distorting the truth. The word deception often means the same thing and is perhaps more commonly used. Deceit doesn’t just involve lying. It can consist of misrepresenting or omitting the truth or more complicated cover-ups. Anything that involves intentionally misleading someone is deceit. The word deceit often implies a pattern of behavior, rather than a one-time act. The adjective deceitful can describe something that deceives or is intended to deceive, or someone who is known for engaging in deceit. Less commonly, the word deceit can refer to an action, scheme, or trick intended to deceive, as in It was a clever deceit, but I didn’t fall for it. Another less common sense of the word refers to the quality of being deceitful. A deceitful person can be said to be full of deceit. Example: I’m sick of your constant lying and deceit—I can’t trust anything you say!

Related Words

See duplicity

Other Word Forms

• nondeceit
  noun

Etymology

Origin of deceit

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English deceite, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun use of feminine of deceit “deceived,” past participle of deceivre “to deceive”; see deceive

Explanation

Deceit is purposeful falsehood. If you want to keep your true love true to you, avoid any acts of deceit. Deceit comes from the Latin for "cheat." When you deceive someone, you give them a false impression, mislead them so as to get away with something bad. If a person speaks in a way that gives a false impression, we call the way he speaks "deceptive." If someone pretends to be someone else, that’s an act of deceit, like when a thief pretends to be a valet parking attendant and takes off with your car.

Example Sentences

There was no attorney named Susan Millan associated with Catholic Charities, and the deceit was just one example of hundreds that the group has become aware of when desperate immigrants eventually reach the real organization.

From Salon • May 2, 2026

Lies, deceit and manipulation might be the core principles of our modern world, but that doesn’t make them any less infuriating.

From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026

The deceit is either ameliorated or worsened by the obvious unreliability of Thomas’s testimony.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

He skilfully won over his opponents, with his humorous and likeable character enabling his scheming and deceit to fly under the radar.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026

It portrayed Maggie and Kate’s childhood powers as genuine, while blaming Leah and “the disciples of spiritualism” for any deceit.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• chicanery
• deception
• dishonesty
• duplicity
• fraud
• hypocrisy
• treachery
• trickery